Contingency Plans
by KatyaX
Summary: Set after Joyce dies and before Buffy dies. Somewhere in there, after the events of Intervention, but before those in Spiral, Willow convinces Buffy to take the time to make some important decisions. They sit together now to finalize these plans.


After Joyce dies and before Buffy dies. Somewhere in there, after the events of Intervention, but before those in Spiral, Willow convinces Buffy to take the time to make some important decisions. They sit together now to finalize these plans.

Buffy and Willow are at the Summers' dining room table. A stack of papers and folders are spread out in front of Buffy, and a large binder is open in the middle of everything. Buffy looks taken aback.

.

.

.

"There are a lot of pages."

"You have a lot of stuff."

"I do? I have... A house. I don't even have a car."

"You have Dawn. And... That's like, half of this."

"Dawn's not stuff. Not anymore. Now she's people."

"Also, there are like, investments and stuff."

"Oh. Wow. How did mom do all this?"

"I dunno. I think they stopped offering the 'how to do grown up stuff' course in high school. Thankfully, I found a lawyer who took that class."

"I like how he put little stickers where I have to sign. They're pink!"

"Green ones are for initials."

"Ooh, color-codey goodness. How considerate. Um... Wow... That's a lotta stickers."

"He, uh, suggested that you, you know, READ it too. To make sure it's all correct."

"I don't even know most of these words. How would I know if it's correct or not?"

"I think you'll get the gist of it. I mean, the Dawn parts, anyway, you should look at."

"'Upon the death of Buffy Anne Summers- Oh! I know that word! "if Dawn Summers (sister) is has not yet reached the age of 18 years, Willow Rosenberg shall be declared legal guardian until such age. If Willow Rosenberg is unwilling, unfit, or unable to serve as legal guardian to Dawn Summers, guardianship shall be awarded to William Pratt.' Yeah. It's correct. I mean, most people probably wouldn't have picked a practicing witch or a vampire as their first two choices for guardianship, but it's correct for us."

"Are you still sure about naming Spike as her guardian? I'm not asking because I think you're wrong. I'm asking because I want you to be really sure."

"Wil, I named YOU as her guardian. Spike is... I guess, the contingency plan. If I die... I can only imagine how dangerous things might become. And with Faith still out there, there isn't going to be another Slayer to replace me here. So... If something happened to you, I suppose leaving her with an immortal with superpower fighting skills isn't such a bad backup plan."

"And Giles? I know we sorta talked about it. But..."

"I can't burden Giles with this."

"Ha, but you can burden me? I have a life too, you know. I'll have you know I'm taking eight whole credits this semester!"

"Heh. You know you're different. Giles is... the closest thing to a dad that Dawn and I ever had. But... That doesn't mean he should HAVE to be. After everything... I just can't put that on him. Having to take care of Dawn while the inevitable cloud of guilt from my death hangs over him? Besides, he can barely stand to babysit her for a few hours. Three of four years of that? I owe him more than that."

"Did you..."

"Tell Dawn yet?"

"Yeah."

"No. I will. But not yet. There's all this stuff... Like, death has been this constant in my life. And for Dawn... All the shielding, all the hiding. Then to have this long conversation about what will happen if I die?"

"There hasn't been much of a prelude, I guess. But she got through your mom's sickness, and her death. It wasn't the nicest way to ease her into it, but she got through it. And she's older now. She knows more about what you do. She's not twelve anymore."

"I know. I wish she was. I wish she was little, and completely ignorant to all of it."

"You sound like a mom."

"I feel like one. I guess that's kinda good, right?"

"I think so."

"Will you come with me? When I talk to her?"

"Of course!"

"I want her to be able to ask questions, and stuff. And you've always been able to answer things I can't."

"In high school."

"Also college."

"Well... In that case... Should Spike be there?"

"Spike and I talked. A lot, actually. When I decided all this. I guess he should, huh?"

"Yeah."

"My hand is cramping from all the signing. Wil, did you ever think about how many people die in Sunnydale?"

"Uh... I stopped over-thinking it around the end of Junior year. It was a little overwhelming."

"I used to worry all the time about it. I still do. I mean, I know there's this destiny thing, and all, but it's kinda what makes me get up everyday and do this, be a Slayer. How many people do you think die without a will in this town? Where do those kids go? What happens to all their stuff?"

"I dunno. But... At least now, you have one less person to worry about."

"I'll always worry about Dawn. Always."

"I know."


End file.
